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Beard or not to beard

I was listening to a conversation from some managers and the question on facial hair came up.

I am pro-facial hair. I have been in automotive for 12 years and I struggled in sales until I started to grow my beard out. I have what they call "Baby Face" without it. I don't know if it's because I mentally decided I can sell or if it was the trust factor that people have with someone older than 18. When I sent into finance and I felt that people had more respect for me with a beard than without. What are your thoughts and what does your dealership say about it?

Our owner has a real negative view of beards. He was taught when he started in the industry that customers are less likely to trust people with facial hair, they instinctively think they're trying to hide something. I have always disagreed. I prefer facial hair, and find it more approachable than a clean shaven face. So, I guess it really depends on the customer. It would be interesting if some company did current research on this.

Companies should have a stated Grooming policy that incorporates the rules for beards. The rules might be different for departments based on the level of customer interactions. Just as many restaurants and resort hotels have a tattoo policy it makes sense for a dealership to have a policy too. It should address the maximum length, indicate it should be trimmed, etc. Whatever the policy it should be enforced consistently. A factor should also be the location of the dealership and the community environment. Here is a link to a sample grooming policy. https://www.xperthr.com/policies-and-documents/grooming-policy/5955/